The National Weather Service has 14 winter alerts. They're broken up into watches, warnings and advisories and range from lake effect snow to freezing rain. With so many options, the names and colors often overlap.

While the colors aren't changing, many Weather Service offices, including Aberdeen and Rapid City, are adjusting the headlines that go with them. For instance, in addition to the traditional alert saying, "The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Watch," you could also see the statement, "The National Weather Service Forecasts the potential for a blizzard."

The Sioux Falls office is not part of the study.

Depending how it goes, the new alerts could become permanent and additional changes are possible.